Car-floor



(No Model.)

W.`L. EV-RIT.

GAR FLOOR.

N0. 397,420. f9.1, Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

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IVILLIAM Il. EVERIT, OF NEWT HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-FLR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,420, dated February 5, 1889..

Application filed November 26, 1888. Serial NoK 291,869, (No model.)

To all whomJ t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ilLL'IAM L. EvERI'r, of New Haven, in the county ot' New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Carelloors; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection withaccompan yin g drawings and the letters of reference marked thereomto be a tull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part ot' this specification, and represent, iii- Figure l, a plan view of the :fioor oi' a streetcar embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section cutting through one of the channels at the side looking' outward; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central section of a portion of the floor cutting through the opening over the truck; Fig. el, a transverse central section through the same open ing; Fig. 5, a transverse section cutting through the central traps, showing the channels; Fig. t5, a modiiication.

This invention relates to animproven'nnitin the construction ol street-car floors.

Street-car floors have been constructed with longitudinalparallel. ribs arranged thereon, the ribs terminating near each end,but leaving a space between the ends vot the ribs and the ends of the car, so that the channels between the ribs would open freely at the ends as acouvenience `for. cleaning the Hoor. Such a licor is described in a patent granted to me September 3, i878, No. 207,726. The longitudinal ribs are in many eases objectionable, because the grooves and ribs are Vin the direction of the line of step, and consequently make an uneven and often nncomfortable surface for the feet and uncomfortable to walk or stand upon.

The object oi' my invention is to retain the advantage ol' stationary ribs on the floor, but yet avoid the dili'iculties mentioned; and the invention consists in series of stationary parallel ribs arranged lral'isversely across the licor, but terminating near each side, so as to l leave a longitudinalopen space at the ends of the ribs7 which extends to the ends of the car as a convenience in sweeping or cleaning the Hoor, and in details ol' construction, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the licor of the car. On this floor transverse parallel ribs (l are arranged a short distance :from each other and so as to leave grooves l) between the ribs running transversely across the Hoor. These ribs are shorter than the exposed surface of the floor. That exposed surface is here represented as limited by longitudinal lribs b', (see Fig. 1,) so that a longitudinal open space, (l, extends along the ends ot the ribs to the respective ends ot' the car, and at the ends these longitudinal spaces d should open onto the lioor of the car, so that as the car is swept transversely the dirt will pass into the longitudinal spaces and there maybe swept longitudinally to the end of the car and out onto the ioor.

I prefer to make the longitudinal spaces d at the ends of the ribs in the form of a channel, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5, the channel deepening from the ends toward the center, and at the center a trap7 e, is arranged which maybe readily removed, so that any drip from the door will naturally run to the channels and thence be led away through the bottom of the car. This trap may also ailiord a convenient means for discharging the sweepings.. The recessed channels, however, may be omitted, as seenV in Fig. G, the level floor being all sulfieient `for sweeping purposes.

In cars which are driven by electricity an opening through the car-licor onto the trucks is necessary. To provide such an opening, I arrange a trap, B, in the door, which is simply a hole in the floor ot the required size, with a removable cover adapt-ed to set in and close the opening, the cover being provided with ribs corresljiomling to the ribs ot' the floor, as shown, and this trap is packed around its edge, as seen at f, Figs. and

Under this ctmstruetion the tloor isprovided with ribs, which obviate the use of removable mats, and becausethe ribs and grooves are transversely across the Floor they do not intertere with the comfortable walking or standin in the car.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I do not claim, broadly, a caleiioor provided with stationary ribs adapted to leave corresponding grooves between them 5 but \Vhat I do claim is- -l. A car-door having stationary ribs ar- IOO ranged transversely thereon and distant from each other, so as to form grooves on the floorlevel between the said ribs, the said ribs terminating short of the width of the lloor of the car and so as to leave clear longitudinal spaces at the ends of the ribs, substantially as described.

2. A car- [ioor provided with stationary transverse ribs forming transverse grooves on the floor, the said ribs stopping short oi' the full width of the licor and so as to leave a clear longitudinal space, d, at the ends of the ribs, the said longitudinal space recessed to form a channel inclining from each end of the car downward toward the center, combined with a trap at the center through which said channels may discharge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a' car-Hoor having ribs arranged transverselyaeross it and so as to form transverse grooves between said ribs, the said ribs stopping short of the full Width oi' the floor, so as to leave a clear longitudinal space at each side, the iioor constructed With an opening through to the trucks beneath, a cover, B,provided for said opening, the said cover having ribs on its upper surface corresponding to the ribs of the Hoor, and the said opening provided with a packing, substantially as described.

WILLIAM L. EVERIT.

WV itnesses:

FRED C. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

